MU’s Drinkwitz was to throw out a first pitch. Instead he’s been watching ‘Tiger King’
Before the COVID-19 pandemic caused sports and the rest of most daily goings-on to grind to a halt around the world, Missouri coach Eliah Drinkwitz was closing in on any kid’s dream:
Throwing out the ceremonial first pitch before a Major League Baseball game.
Back when things were normal and his Tigers were running through spring practices and MLB teams were at spring training, Drinkwitz was scheduled to throw the first pitch ahead of a Cardinals-Cubs game at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.
Drinkwitz revealed his prep and plan for the first pitch when he spoke Tuesday on the Stalter & Rivers podcast. He said he’d been plenty excited about the prospect.
“For me, that was kind of like, if I throw out the first pitch of a Cardinals game, I’ve kind of arrived,” Drinkwitz said during his 15-minute appearance.
Now, amid the ongoing pandemic, Drinkwitz isn’t sure if the first pitch will still eventually happen. But he’s kept preparing as if he’ll take the mound one of these days, he said.
“I’ve been training,” Drinkwitz said. “I’ve been going out measuring 60 feet, throwing it to my girls. They don’t want to catch it. I don’t care if it’s an orange or something, I’m practicing. I can’t guarantee it’ll be a strike. And I’m not going to put any movement on the pitch, but I’m going to get on top.”
The first-year Mizzou coach said he’s thrown a first pitch in the past, but he did it from in front of the mound, not atop it. As a result, he said, his rhythm was off.
Could Drinkwitz throw out a first pitch before a Royals game at Kauffman Stadium once baseball returns? There are no known plans about this yet. But based on his enthusiasm about the possible first pitch at Busch, Drinkwitz might think about readying his arm for an eventual appearance at The K, too.
If there is a bucket list item Drinkwitz hopes to cross off in KC, he’s already said in the past about how he wants to go to an NFL game, which he hasn’t done yet. Back in December, he joked how he wanted to go to a Chiefs playoff game at Arrowhead Stadium in the near future.
“I’m going to announce my presence with some authority,” Drinkwitz said of the first pitch. “That’s the plan. Bull Durham, right? That’s what I’m gonna do.”
King of Tigers
While Drinkwitz said he hasn’t watched too many television shows during the pandemic, he said he has seen the hit Netflix docuseries “Tiger King.”
Some have leaned into the Tigers’ mascot as a connection to the show, and one MU fan went so far as to create a … highlight video of sorts.
“The first three episodes, I was kind of like, ‘Wow,’” Drinkwitz said. “Then the last four, I was kind of like, ‘This is really sad.’ It really is a sad, sad state of affairs and it’s kind of weird. I felt sorry for those characters.”
And about recruiting
With the NCAA extending its recruiting dead period through May 31, Drinkwitz and his staff have gotten savvy with how they’re reaching out to potential Tigers.
Throughout the week, Mizzou has been communicating with coaches and recruits via phone and video calls in hopes of retaining in-state talent. Their big statewide push in this direction started with St. Louis Monday and Tuesday; the coaches shifted to KC recruiting Wednesday and Thursday.
“We’re trying to do the very best we can,” Drinkwitz said. “We’re focusing on the in-state as hard as we possibly can. We want the best players in this state to stay in this state. We’ve made a renewed commitment to that. That’s really what we’re pushing.”